ELC 4x800 finishes 21st

Shuttle hurdle team DQ’d

May 16, 2013

DES MOINES - It wasn't the best day for the Estherville Lincoln Central boys' state track qualifiers, but the experience won't be forgotten.

Two ELC events ran on the first day of the 2013 State Track and Field Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

"It was a beautiful day and a great experience for these young men," said ELC coach Dick Barrett.

The first event for ELC was the shuttle hurdle relay preliminaries with Alec Wycoff, Michael McCauley, Matt Burrell and Justin Heinrichs.

While the time flashed on the scoreboard at the end of the race was 1 minute, 2.5 seconds, the group was disqualified for one of its members taking off too early. Barrett said it didn't matter a lot as the team would not have qualified for Saturday's finals. All eight finals qualifiers ran the race in under 1 minute.

"I'm glad all four still got a chance to run down here," said Barrett.

The shuttle hurdle quartet still has its name in the school annals having set the school record in the event at the May 9 District Meet in Emmetsburg.

The highlight of Thursday for the ELC boys came in the 4x800-meter relay as Joe Heinrichs ran the first leg in a career-best 2:01.5.

"That should give him confidences in anchoring the medley relay tomorrow," said Barrett.

ELC finished 21st overall in the event in 8:34.31. Running after Heinrichs were Rodrick Fuller, Blake Gjerde and Tyler Swanson.

Today, Justin Heinrichs will compete in the 400-meter low hurdles at 3:20 p.m. The distance medley relay team of Adam Reiter, Andres Blanco, Burrell and Joe Heinrichs will run at 5:40 p.m.